Railway draft device.



H. P. GAMBRE.

RAILWAY DRAFT DEVICE. APPLICATION rum) APR. 22, 1914.

1, 1 33,704. Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. P. GAMBRE. RAILWAY DRAFT DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, 1914.

1,1 33,704. Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Fig.

gwuewfoz Witneooeo HENRY P. GAMBRE, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

RAILWAY DRAFT DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 31), 1915.

Application filed April 22, 1914. Serial No. 833,742.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY P. CAMBRE, acitizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Draft Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in railway draft devices and has for its primary object to provide a simple, reliable and inexpensive draft device that may bereadily and easily attached to cars of different characters and will operate to relieve the strain on car frames and heavy trains and when the cars are coupled.

Another important object of my invention is to provide means whereby the draw head may be permitted movement longitudlnally and laterally relative to the railway car' so as to obviate injury to the car frame 111C1- dent to shocks and strains.

Another important object of my invention is to provide means of the character described that is simple as to construction, reliable and efficient in operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out as claimed.

With reference to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention as it is reduced to practice, and throughout the several views of which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved draft device, Fig. 2 is a side elevation, Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view, and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of tlie slide block.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference the numerals 1 and 2 designate as entireties draft timbers formed for a part of their length in the nature of I-beams and secured in the usual manner to the under Formed in the are rectangular openings 5 provided at each end with an elongated recess 6. Mounted be secured to the end faces of the blocks 7 and the end faces of the openings 5.

The shank 10 of the draw head 3 is provided with a transverse opening 11 adjacent 1ts free end through which is mounted a transverse connecting bar 12. The bar 12 is slidable 1n longitudinal slots 13 formed in the webs 4 and communicating with the openings 5. Each of the blocks 7 is provlded with a transverse opening 14: through w h1ch the ends of the bar 12 extend. Cotter pins or other suitable fastening means 15 are inserted through the ends of the bar 12 to prevent accidental derangement of the bar.

Sufficient spaceis had between the timbers 1 and 2 and the opening 11, in the shank 10 of the draw head is of suflicient size to permit lateral movement of the draw head.

In operatlon when a pulling strain is placed upon the draw head the outer springs will be compressed and relieve the car of strain in sudden starting'of the train. The other springs will compress when the train comes to an abrupt stop or when two cars engage each other to provide for the coupling thereof with great force.

With reference to the foregoing description and accompanying drawings it will be readily seen. that I have provided novel means to cushion shocks or jars and to re-- heve cars of strains in being drawn or when coupled.

In reduction to practice, I have found that the form of my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most efficient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention as set forth.

What is claimed is .1. A railway draft device comprising draft timbers formed in the nature of I-beams and having certain longitudinal edges spaced from each other, a draw head mounted between the webs of the timbers, said timbers having their web portions provided in their outer faces with elongated openings and elongated recesses communicating with the openings at the ends thereof, blocks slidable within the openings, pins on the blocks slidable Within the recesses, compression springs mounted on the pins and engaging at their terminals the end walls of the openings and end faces of the blocks, said blocks having openings extending therethrough transversely, said webs having elongated openings formed therein and communicating with the first mentioned openings, a transverse bar slidable in the last named openings operatively connected intermediate its ends with a draw head and secured at its ends to the blocks.

2. A railway draft device consisting of draft timbers, a draw head mounted within the timbers, said timbers having openings in the sides thereof communicating at their ends with semi-circular recesses formed in the timbers, blocks slidable Within the openings, pins on the blocks slidable within the recesses, compression springs mounted on the pins and engaging at their terminals the end faces of the blocks and end walls of the openings and means connecting the blocks and draw head with each other slidable'with the block.

In testimony whereof I aflix my'signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY P. CAM BRE. Witnesses:

PAUL A. CAMBRE, PHILIP DUGROS. 

